Why does defining brand voice matter?
Stand in almost any airport or shopping mall, and your senses are attacked by branding.
From post-modern sushi logos to European coffee, carefully manufactured brands surround us.
You encounter brands from the moment you awake to the moment you fall asleep. Branding drives all your decision making, including what you eat, think or browse.
In a hyper-competitive and uber-connected world, brands need to have a clear purpose and meaning.
A brand is engineered. Brand strategies must be layered into the planning process.
A brand is alive. People use brands to become someone.
A brand is logic and emotion. It’s part science and part art.
Too many times, the idea of defining what an organization is here to do, and what it wants, stems from the old-school principles of mission and vision. Think of the last time you sat in a mission statement meeting. And now think of how it almost always leads to a high-falutin’ litany of, “Our mission, should we be brave enough to accept, is to put an end to commodization of education, and level the playing field for the average student.”
And the vision? It can be a highly laudable goal that is way out of reach if you start with considering your brand as having a more playful side or a friendly manner across your social channels.
Just don’t do that.
To your audiences, brand is the difference between a soda or Coke, a computer or a Mac, and a car or a Tesla. It is the personification of a product or even an entire company. A brand has a physical body, such as the solutions it provides. And similar to a person, it has a name, character, reputation, and personality.
At the heart of this differentiation lies a brand’s voice—a distinctive tone and style that communicates how your brand identity comes across to the world. But what exactly is brand voice, and why is it so important for content creators?
This article takes a look under the hood of brand voice, explores its key elements, and guides you through the process of four elements for resonating with your buyer persona.
Brand voice definition
Speaking of personality, let’s pause here, and jump into some common misconceptions regarding brand voice.
Brand voice is not personality. Personality combines traits and characteristics.
Your brand voice is not whimsical with a side twist of zestful mischief hanging over a salted rim.
Brand personality is your archetype. And while your brand archetype is sometimes referred to as the heartbeat of your brand, it is not your brand voice.
But, I digress.
Brand voice is your vocabulary, cadence and tone. And how you communicate it in your website copy, social media posts, and even your customer service interactions. This voice is more than just the words chosen. It’s attitude or the lack of it. It’s the feeling that permeates every piece of content with a long, flowy, cohesive narrative that customers can relate to and recognize. Or it speaks to their logic.
Importance of brand voice
Your brand voice must have meaning for your consumer loyalty that exists beyond functionality.
A genuine brand comes from within. It is the true exposure if what your brand really is.
It is what your clients hear when they read. It is your story, ideas, experiences and company values. And how it translates to their own values.
It is such a crucial part of your branding (and your brand strategy) because it represents your tangibles, authentic depths and emotional connections.
A well-defined brand voice template is crucial for several reasons.
Firstly, it engages your customers by creating a relatable and trustworthy image. When customers feel they know a brand, they are more likely to foster a long-term relationship with that brand.
Secondly, your brand voice is a powerful tool for supporting writing and differentiating your brand. In a sea of similar products and services, a distinctive voice sets a brand apart, and makes it memorable and recognizable.
Finally, brand voice must fit into the overall brand. It embodies the brand’s values and mission, shapes perceptions, and builds a strong, cohesive brand image.
Key elements of brand voice
Vocabulary
Your word choice, such as pop or soda, is a subtle indication of brand voice. There are different ways to think about it. You could say our proprietary network software is designed to enhance your business solutions. Or you could say make your data work for you.
Vocabulary reflects where you grew up, who you learn from or who you hang out with. It’s your tribe. It’s also an indicator of awareness levels. The language you use bonds readers to the right page at the right time. And lets them know they are in the right place.
Cadence
Cadence is how you pace your voice from fast and short, to long and flowy. It’s the musicality of your writing. Faster cadence confers urgency, shows frustration or choppy thinking.
Though not always.
Longer cadences have the opposite effect: it gives an easy, peaceful feeling that tends to go on and on (and on). If you want to see how copy subconsciously effects how clients perceive copy, hand them a wall of text. And watch their reaction.
Tone
Brand tone is the emotional inflection applied to your voice. It reflects the brand’s attitude and approach, whether it’s formal, casual, playful, or authoritative.
The tone can vary depending on the context and audience but should always align with the brand’s overall archetype.
Benefits of a strong brand voice
Improved client connection
A consistent brand voice fosters trust by creating familiar and reliable messaging. When clients recognize and relate to a brand’s voice, they are more likely to engage with it, leading to fewer edits and reduced pushback.
Market differentiation
Each industry is different, and to be honest, there’s no universal average. The key is finding out where most of the brands fall in an industry. A defined brand voice sets a company apart from competitors, and makes it memorable and recognizable. In a crowded market, a different voice stands out and attracts the right kind of attention.
Brand recognition
A strong brand voice is easy to understand, easy to recognize and easy to recall. Consistent use of vocabulary, cadence and tone reinforces your brand’s image. It’s difficult to identify but you sense when it’s off.
The following list a great start to your brand voice template.
Defining brand voice
Step 1: Understand your audience
Knowing who you are here for is the first step in developing a brand voice.
By kicking-off projects with Ideal Client Profiles (ICP), you put your client first every single time, and get results with the greatest of ease. It also provides an added bonus of being the cornerstone for finding the sweet spot between messaging and marketing.
Step 2: Define brand promise
Your brand promise humanizes your brand. It is plain talk with proof versus potential.
Use your ICPs to directly or indirectly impact client experiences by adding value. And create engagement by establishing shared value between your audience and your brand. It reflects the totality of your experiences that is unique and echoed into an eternal chamber.
Step 3: Graph your brand voice
You can combine the elements of vocabulary, cadence and tone in countless ways. And adjust any unique voice by understanding personality aspects, such as authority, accessibility and outlook.
Not so sure if you have the right voice?
Take it to the bank by literally plotting it on a graph. Get granular and clarify your voice to heighten how it sounds.
Step 4: Test and refine
Run your brand voice through readability tests across different platforms and refine it based on feedback. Identify inconsistencies and make necessary adjustments to keep your voice on brand throughout all your channels.
Real-world examples of successful brand voices
These well-known brand voice examples share common elements of efficiency: consistency, authenticity, and alignment with core values.
These brands have successfully established themselves as leaders in their respective markets.
Apple
Apple’s minimalist and innovative brand voice is a testament to simplicity and innovation. Its brand voice is consistent across all communications, and reinforces its identity as a leader in technology and design.
Nike
Nike’s motivational and empowering voice inspires and engages its audience. Its brand voice is characterized by a confident and assertive tone, reflecting its commitment to excellence and achievement.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola’s brand voice is warm and welcoming and creates a sense of community and belonging. Its brand voice is consistent with its values of happiness and togetherness, and makes it relatable and engaging.
Maintaining brand voice throughout all channels
Across platforms
Know when to let the brand voice lead. And hand-pick the moments when it should quiet down and ride shotgun. These are the times when you decide to simply support conversion rates.
Training and guidelines
Most brand guidelines are made for marketers. Not copywriters. Avoid brand guidelines. Create a very deliberate brand manifesto instead.
Make this comprehensive guide as essential reading for your existing staff and new hires so they know where you put your voice in front.
Monitoring and adjusting
Monitor your brand voice and tweak dials for best fit. Regularly track and measure your copy for multiple ways to keep it on brand.
Dial-in your emotion to understand where it needs to play a dominant role and where it needs to be precise.
Final thoughts
A well-defined brand voice is a powerful tool for creating and sustaining a competitive edge. By measuring the three elements of vocabulary, cadence and tone, and plotting it on a graph, you approach voice in a pattern that matches your brand.
Avoid common pitfalls, such as being simply louder than everyone else. That won’t end well. Make your message relevant with copy that sings versus yells. Work and rework your copy by adding authority, emotion, and most importantly: fun.
